The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-09-09
WOMAN'S DEPARTMENT.
DUDLEY FouLkE.s SPEECH


Hon. Wnlisn Daaiey Hoalke Makes q
frage.
Hon. William Dudley Foulke, at the
recent New England Woman Suffrage
Convention in Newport, r L, said:
Only the day before yesterday I was
talking with an eminent political econ
omist who was opposed to granting
suffrage to women. He said: "What
do you propose to gain by it? Will
politics become any cleaner?" l
thought that they would become much
cleaner. but that this was not the main
reason for suffrage. 1.-The reason that
men desire to exercise it," 1 answered.
sis that they may protect in their own
way their own rights and interests.
Suppose the question should be put to
vote. whether loan or a gift should
be made by township in aid of new
railroads. woman possibly may be
tho owner of One-half the property in
the township, yet she has no voice in
determining whether she shall be taxed
to build the road; she has no means of
protecting her own, while every man.
whether he have property or not, can
vote TO cast thi, burden upon her. Is
that fair?" The gentleman admitted
that it was not.
'.In such case," said he, ''she ought
undoubtedly to have the right to vote
to protect her property; but that is an
exceptional case" NO." answered.
''that case is not the exception. but the
rule. No question can arise in legisla-
ton hut one in which she has an inter-
est similar in principle. if not degree.
Take a woman who is without prop
erty, one who is rearing boys whom
she cndeavOrs to train rs upright men.
The question arises: Shall liquor be
sold in the town? do not intend to
advocate the cause of prohibition when
say that she has an interest in the
question quite distinct from that of the
saloOn-keeper, and one which is at
least entitled to an equal voice. Or,
perhaps, she is widow with young
and beautiful daughters. and her mar
row means and struggle for liveli-
hood prevented her from exercising at
all times that personal care which
might preserve them from the entice-
ments of libertine. The question
arises: At what period in girls life
shall the law cease to interfere and de-
clare that act to be innocent, which. if
committed upon childhood. is crime?
Has she no special interest in this
issue? Is her interest the same as that
of the other sex, Of whom a very per-
ceptible part is composed Of the men
against whom more stringent legisla-
ton is invOked? Look over the whole
field of government, and woman has
her interest in every issue in just the
same way that man has. though that
interest is very often quite different
one. There is neither justice nor
reason in the organic law which gives
to him the political sovereignty which
it denies to her"
And what waste goes ON SO long
as we avail ourselves of only one-half
of the vital force of mankind, in the
development of the mighty organism
of this Republic! One-half of it's wis
dom, its virtue. its devotion, its en-
thusiasm. must lie helpless and inactive.
and see the work wrought out by other
hands. This is crippled and deformed
humanity. All we ask is that mankind
and womankind shall be equally and
completely free to grow and develop
together into that fuller and more
perfect stature which freedom only
can enable us to attain Woman's
Journal.